Tarnished Rhapsody
by Hieru
Summary: Resigned from Weiss, Aya escapes to his solitude with his beloved sister, and slowly degenerates, until a very determined Schuldich decides to capture what belongs to his. Schuldich x Aya. Complete (on personal site), under edit to meet guidelines. Please R&R!
1. Le Prelude

_**Disclaimer**: The settings and characters of Weiss Kreuz belongs to Koyasu-san and Project Weiss © I do not know these fine gents from Japan, nor do I claim these characters are mine at all. There will be no need for international lawsuits, since I am a flat broke otaku that just like to torture these characters. _

_**Feedback: **__I'm a review whore... So... Please review? This fic will be a multi-chapter, and I will need all of your help and support to finish this. ^^;; So please let me know what you think of this! And for reviewers: I'd love to send you emails so if you can attach your email in the review I would be honored! w_

"Must you go, Aya-kun?" the youngest of Weiss asked with a whine, looking at the redhead that was putting the last of his clothes into the small duffle bag. He shifted by the doorway, his hands behind his back as he bit his lower lip, distressed at having one of their friends so adamantly leaving them.

Folding and putting in the last of his pants, along with his beloved leather trenchcoat, Aya tightened the bag silently, and did a quick check around his nearly bare room before turning to face the boy. The innocent look could never cover his sharp, calculating personality that hid underneath. Aya sighed softly, and shook his head, "Omi, I've told you. I'm tired. Tired of commiting murder in order to execute justice, and ending up bearing even more sin. I just want to rest. No more killings, no more Abyssinian." He turned away, his eyes landing on the picture Sakura captured, taking everyone by surprise. The four of them were more than friends, they were a dysfunctional family. "No more Weiss," he said at last.

Omi shook his head furiously, approaching Aya slowly and hesitantly. It had always been intimidating to approach their battlefield leader, even if the boy himself was the true leader of the team. The redhead was just so aloof all the time, keeping his thoughts to himself and never letting anybody in. God knows Youji had tried, so had Ken. The only one that ever had the honor of receiving some care and compassion from the Abyssinian was the young Omi, and the boy knew in his heart it was because of his young age. He was just a surrogate brother that refrained Aya from total emotional oblivion. The brunette slowly put his hand on Aya's arm, grabbing it tightly, "But... We don't want you to go..."

Aya smirked, and reached over, taking the only picture he kept in his room and put it in Omi's hands, "Forgive me for my weakness, Omi... When I'm ready, I'll come back and retrieve this. I promise."

"All right..."

* * *

A soft knock had dragged him out of his dazed state, golden eyes slowly focused as he got up, just in time to greet the boy entering his room with a patented smirk.

Nagi shook his head incredulously, "You're still in bed? Man, you're getting lazier every time I see you."

The German purred as he flipped onto his belly, his long feet kicking in mid-air as he tried to fake a cute expression, his chin rested on his hands, "Aww, you don't love me anymore, Nagi-chan?"

The Prodigy rolled his eyes, and sat down on the queen-sized bed that Schuldich was lying on, slapping the green-haired man at the back of the head, hard. "Owww! Hey, that hurt, you brat!" Schuldich cried, glaring at Nagi as the boy smirked.

"Don't worry, Schu, you're already stupid as it is. A couple of swats won't kill off that many brain cells, whatever remaining you have."

"Ow, that hurts," the Mastermind glared at his friend. "Do you have what I want already, you wise ass?"

Smiling victoriously, Nagi fanned himself with the sheet of paper he had in his hand, "And what do you say when you need something?"

"That I promise I'll keep away from Brad's ass?" Schuldich winked suggestively.

"Oh, ha. Ha. Here you go, you fucking bastard," Nagi glared, using his power to make the paper as hard as it possibly could be and slap it on Schuldich's face, knocking the man over, until he laid on his back, reading the brief inscription on the paper. Nagi waited next to him, watching Schuldich's face thoughtfully. He would never understand why Schuldich was so fixated on a certain redhead, but then again, he wasn't about to stand in the way. In truth, no one within their small family had a problem in each other's choice of partner. He just thought Schuldich chose the hardest goal to achieve, a trademark of the man's attitude towards life.

By the time Schuldich finished reading the paper, his face was determined, thoughtful, and a tinge of hurt hid inside his eyes, the pools of topaz swirled slowly as he contemplated his next move. Smiling, the carefree look returned as the man sat up, and ruffled Nagi's hair lovingly. "Thanks a lot, little brat. I owe you one."

"Yeah, just don't get yourself heartbroken," Nagi said sincerely, watching Schuldich wave his hand once in a V-sign as he exited the room.

* * *

The office was nothing less than fancy. A large glass window made up the front sides of the office, which could be concealed to giver the owner privacy with a touch of a button. The office was furnished with the large finest mahogany office desk in the middle and two cushioned, Victorian chairs in front for the visitors. Upon entering a door was a seating area, with one sofa and two sofa chairs to the side. A long, glass table stood in front of the couch with a large bouquet of fresh flowers brought in daily, and the seat was welcoming enough to make whoever entered the office feel comfortable, yet not so much as to make the owner seem like a pushover. Every piece of the furniture was placed and purchased in accordance to human psychology, making sure that the by end of the day, all business would be within grasp, and making the office owner, and the company, millions.

And right now, the owner was really not happy. He had just cancelled his morning appointment, and moved the annual report meeting to the next day, which he was not happy about. He sat in the large, leather chair, swinging back and forth slightly as he gazed out the window. Located at the thirty-fourth floor in downtown Tokyo, the view was nothing short of marvelous. The Tokyo Tower seemed so close to him; the red mimic of the Eiffel Tower glittered by the sunlight, almost blinding, definitely mesmerizing. The city was careful with its appearance; even though skyscrapers occupied it, the government planted plenty of flora to bring the city to life. The construction of the whole of Tokyo was organized, symmetrical, and... extremely busy.

And although all of these things that meant success and prosperity, the man was frowning deeply and rubbing his temple. He toyed with the small booklet in his hand, sighing heavily. What Fate had decided would come, especially if it was one of the inevitable. He was just hoping it wouldn't be so soon... Then again, he was hoping it would be postponed indefinitely. Less headache that way.

But, at the sound of his secretary announcing his only guest of the morning's arrival, he knew there was nothing he could do but let fate take its course.

The door opened and Schuldich came in with a smirk, jerking his thumb towards it as it swung closed, "Your secretary is funny. She thought I was Nagi. Did you actually have the boy here before?"

"She's new. Linda is out on maternity leave. She's gonna have twins," he said with a smirk, waving at the sofa, "I oughta fire Sandra though. How can she mistake a scum like you for my precious Nagi?"

Schuldich winced, pouting as he sat down on the sofa, sprawled with his legs extended and both of his arms on the back of the couch. "What is with everybody taking turns bashing poor me today?! I'm hurt!"

Crawford scoffed, and asked Sandra for two cup of coffee, one with vodka and one with cinnamon. He sat down on the sofa chair right of Schuldich, crossing his legs as he rested his elbow on the arm rest, "So, what brings you here?"

The German snorted, resting his head on the seat and looking up at the high ceiling, "I think you know what."

The American chuckled, and shook his head, "You know what this means though, don't you? You will no longer be a member of Schwartz, and unless needed, we will not contact you. You will not receive any medical or financial benefits from us, and you forfeit all future financial gain. You know all that, right?"

A brief moment of hesitation and a flash of pain was all Crawford needed to know what the German really thought. It actually made him quite jealous of the Mastermind's object of affection, since Schuldich was willing to leave behind everything that literally define this person named Mastermind in this world. But knowing that the man still cared deeply for their little family was, to say the least, satisfying and relieving. When Schuldich kept his silence, Crawford smiled and shook his head. He reached into the inner pocket of his suit, and paused just very slightly to take a breath before he brought out the small booklet that he was playing with moments ago. Sliding it across the glass coffee table, he watched with great amusement as Schuldich narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"This is your share of the money we made during our time with Estet. Since you're leaving us, it's only fair for you to pull out your funds as you won't receive any of the future income that this company brings. So what you do with your money is your business, and we don't care," the man said with a grin, enjoying this game and guilt trip he played with Schuldich. The German knew enough to not probe into his mind, and even if the other did try, there would be nothing but a solid wall barring the intrusion.

Schuldich picked up the booklet, and noted that it was a bank deposit book with the bank card inside. When he looked into the booklet, even someone as Schuldich gasped at the insanely huge amount of money, enough for the German to start his own country if he wanted to. He looked up at the grinning Crawford, speechless. Slowly, a smirk turned into a smile, as the green-haired young man stood, putting the small booklet, worth well over millions, into his pocket. He started to leave, and the Oracle simply kept his smile, looking straightforward as his best friend and life-long brother walked past him.

And as if cued, their hands clapped loudly, grabbing each other tightly, that simple gesture, so exploited by teens all over the world, expressed so much to each about their feelings, their love for one another, and their wish for each other's luck. The hands perhaps connected for thirty seconds, but it felt like a lifetime.

Then Schuldich was out of the door, never looking back.

* * *

**Tarnished Rhapsody**

_**Le Preleude  
**__August 2004_

It had been three months after Estet was sunk under the sea, taking with it the group of fanatical, powerful religious and political players that believed in nothing but money and blind faith. The giant fortress' demise was the result of eight young men's contribution, their beliefs opposite, their powers resembled ones of determination and ones of the occult. The clash of the two groups created such catastrophe that an entire oversea building came crumbling down, disappearing out of sight, and out of memory.

The two groups were rumored to have met the same demise as the fortress itself, and no one had bothered to verify. A month later, a newcomer in the stockmarket game quickly rose to power, his ambition and strong will, along with extreme good luck and logical calculations and analysis, made him the strongest financial analyst in Japan. The man quickly established himself as an important player in the International economic community, investing all over the world and cashing in billions annually. He topped the list of the Forbes 4000 in less than thirty days, as people called him a monster or, as the community called him - The Oracle.

Naturally, agencies such as the SEC, the FBI, and similar agencies on all major continents launched a joint campaign in investigating the man, but apparantly, the Oracle had done nothing illegal. The handsome American would recite every financial code in every country, and his assistant was a genius in covering up his tracks. Every move nothing short of brilliance, every transaction flawless. The duo was unstoppable.

Such wealth in such a short time made people around the world nervous, and bounties were put out internationally. The duo, however, hired one of the most remarkable bodyguard out of nowhere, apparantly a small town in Ireland that no one had heard of. The one-eyed man prevented the numerous assassination attempts, over thirty within two months, and even though there wasn't any hard evidence, it was widely assumed that the assassins sent were disposed of by the Irish.

Just when the economic world was being turned upside down, a hospital near the shore of Nagasaki accepted a transfer patient from Tokyo. She had received a severe head wound three years previous that had sent her into a deep coma. The swelling in her brain was controlled, but had not completely disappeared, which was the reason why she continued to be the sleeping princess. The hospital placed her in a high, single room, with a dedicated nurse tending to her needs, or lack thereof, twenty-four seven. The expense was, to say the least, grand, especially when the hospital itself was famed to be the most comfortable and caring high class one.

The girl looked no more than eighteen years old, long midnight blue hair tied neatly into two braids each day by her only family left in this world, and the flowers on the nightstand were changed depending on the month or the mood of the purchaser. The room was painted a calming creamy green, with a couple of paintings adorning the wall, completed by a nameless yet very talented artist, themes of forlon childhood and lost innocence. Plushie dolls crowded on a table by the large window, all of her favorites, waiting for their mistress to wake up and play with them.

The nurses chattered happily each day about the young man that brought the princess here. A handsome redhead with ethereal beauty that carried a bouquet of flowers each day, on the dot, when visiting hours began. His blood red hair accompanied those hypnotic amethyst eyes, clouded with sadness, making him look like a lost child that every women's maternal instinct wanted to hold and soothe. But no matter how many attempts had been made, with different styles and with different beauties, the young man never showed any interest. He was a walking block of ice, as some of the scorned admirers had said, a walking statue forever frozen in time. He came every day at seven a.m., scooting his sister up and smoothed her hair out and re-braided it, changed the flowers, and opened the window to let the air in. The young man would stay about thirty minutes, then leave for the day. The nurses had seen the redhead at a local restaurant, working as a waiter well into the night. He would then come back to the hospital, stay and read to his sister for about an hour, then leave at the last minute of visiting hours. There were rumors that the redhead also worked at a construction site at night, but people dismissed it easily, thinking that no one could work twenty hours a day.

However, the young man was grower paler and paler each week, and thinner as well.

The small town on the outskirts of Nagasaki consisted mostly of a fishing community, with the hospital being the largest building in the town. A couple of restaurants, many hardware stores and fish markets that did mostly export, and local families who knew each others' name, birthday, and family history resided there. The town was a large family in and of itself, and perhaps the only black cat was the redhead that moved here with the comatose sister three months ago.

The town stirred with gossip once more when a foreigner moved in. A white man with green hair and golden eyes. A man who spoke perfect Japanese, with a carefree attitude and a smirk that seemed to mock the world forever tugging at his lips. A man with a purpose.

And the town gossiped.

**Author's Mewlings:** There! Finally, after almost a year of Final Fantasy VIII obsession, I'm switching gear once more and coming back to Weiss Kreuz. w I'm quite happy of the prelude, and I hope that the following chapters would be able to follow through smoothly. I hope that there will be many reviews so I can feel loved, but this story has its way of nagging me to write it down, unlike the other WK fic where I planned it all out and then it just sat there. T_T It should be about... I don't know, 3 - 4 chapters, hopefully.


	2. Allemande

_**Disclaimer**: The settings and characters of Weiss Kreuz belongs to Koyasu-san and Project Weiss © I do not know these fine gents from Japan, nor do I claim these characters are mine at all. There will be no need for international lawsuits, since I am a flat broke otaku that just like to torture these characters. _

_**Feedback: **__I'm a review whore... So... Please review? This fic will be a multi-chapter, and I will need all of your help and support to finish this. ^^;; So please let me know what you think of this! And for reviewers: I'd love to send you emails so if you can attach your email in the review I would be honored! w_

_**Note:**_ _Many settings from this fic is derived from the manga of Weiss Kreuz instead of the anime, so Schuldich hair is green instead of orange, and Aya's parents were killed in the explosion in their office building instead of their home. Just to clarify that in case there are some confusion in terms of history and colorings. *nod nod*_

**Tarnished Rhapsody**

_**Allemande  
**__August 2004_

[Aya]

Somehow, the three flight of stairs back to the apartment seemed much longer and tougher to walk than this morning. I squint my eyes tighter, lifting my leg up for another step, feeling as if they weighed a ton. Weird, I was never this tired in the past, even if we had went on a three-day non-stop mission. It feels as if every atom of my body is screaming at me, and the dust-covered ground certainly looked more inviting than it has the right to. Shaking my head furiously, I clear the mist that starts to form in front of my vision, and continue up the stairs.

The apartment is a rat hole compared to what I used to have with Weiss, but at least it's less stressful for my conscience living here. At least the rent money is no longer covered with blood. Mrs. Masato is standing before my door pounding loudly when I finally manage to get to the third floor, and she turned immediately to me, asking for the rent of the month. She isn't really a bad person, but it seemed that in the past, her tenants have always given her grief, thus making her a difficult landlady. Well, her place was the only one available at the time, and I really don't feel like moving anymore.

The woman studies me thoroughly, and frowns with disdain at my grime-covered work clothes. "I hope you plan on washing those things, young man. And by the Gods, eat something! A twig looks fatter than you!"

I chuckle softly, a forced one that I picked up for the 'normal life,' "Yes, Mrs. Masato... Here is this month's rent, ma'am."

She nods as she takes the envelope from me, and her mood visibly lightens immediately. Patting my shoulder, the short Japanese woman repeats her scoldings before she descends down the stairs, leaving me to my solitude. I sigh softly, a mannerism that I find myself to do often nowadays, and retrieve my keys from my pocket. Entering the small apartment, I tear off my work clothes immediately, the rough, horrible cotton grating on my skin. Sighing once more, I take the light blue uniform with me to the tiny bathroom. It is actually a luxury for a standard studio apartment to have its own bathroom and kitchen; then again, I am in Nagasaki, not in Tokyo. In Tokyo, you can barely get a four tatami-square studio with no other amenities for triple the price I am paying now. For me, I have about eight tatami-square space, which is more than enough for me.

Turning on the shower head, I let the burning sensation of the hot water remind me that I am still a cursed existance on this world. It takes me nearly an hour to finish the shower and wash the clothes as clean as I can, just so I can hang them dry by the window before I leave tomorrow and they will be ready when I get home for my night job once more. I head for the kitchen for a glass of water, and look at the refrigerator that came with the apartment with a sardonic smile. If it were up to me, I wouldn't need such a space-taking appliance that I don't use. Eating is not necessary for someone as sinful as me, and besides, Keiko, my mentor at the restaurant, makes it her personal business to force-feed me whenever she sees me. I've asked her to stop many times , but she ignores my pleadings and does what she wants.

Keiko says I'm depressed, and even though I don't have a Psychology degree, I think I can see that too. It just doesn't make sense, since I left Weiss to search for a better life, that it ends up worse than before. But then again, the mindless, repetitive work that I overload myself with is better than the downtime during Weiss. Less time for me to think. I can occupy my mind with the special of the day, or the amount of cement and bricks needed that day.

Finishing my glass of water, I rinse out the glass and put it aside. I watch the water going down the drain, my mind wandering from everything to nothing. Sometimes I regret leaving Weiss, but whenever that happens, images of the men and women that died from my blade appear before my eyes. I know I shouldn't feel bad... They were the Dark Beasts, the ones that were hurting society, plaguing and preying on the innocent citizens who have no power to fight back.

Someone... like Aya. Innocent, beautiful... Someone that is destined to have grown into a beautiful young woman, graduate high school that she was looking forward to with such enthusiasm, and go into the college of her choice. We used to sit together in my room late at night, when mom and dad had both gone to sleep, and talk about our future. Aya always hated the typical Japanese women, taking occassional schooling just so they could get into a large company, doing menial labor, and hoping to find an up-and-coming husband. She was always an independent woman, whereas I dwarf in ambition and goal compared to her. When I was in high school, I never really decided what major I wanted to go into, and my teacher told me try and find what piques my interest, though business would be the most dependable one in life. I never got the chance to decide anyway.

Aya wanted to be a Psychologist... She wanted to go to America, to study in a place where women aren't suppressed and people would appreciate a woman. I often joked that I would have to be the leech brother in the future, begging her to spare me some change to feed my family.

Well, there won't be any family for me in the future, I've long given up hope. And I can only hope she will eventually get the chance to wake up and enjoy whatever life she has left. I will give up anything, even my life, so long as she can find happiness when she wakes up. I just hope it won't be too late.

Drying my hair with a towel with more time than before, I look into the vanity mirror and finger my longer hair idly. Vaguely, I recall what Youji told Omi once when the boy complained about his long hair, saying that longer hair seduces women easier, and that he was too lazy to go to the barber's. I snicker mentally, knowing that my longer hair is really the result of laziness, and that I really don't have the time. Whatever spare time I have I spend on keeping Aya company, or trying to sleep as much as I can.

Stepping out of the bathroom, I crash down onto the sofa bed by the window, my body finally giving in as my eyes refuse to open any longer. I like exhaustion better than just 'going to sleep,' since my body will decide for me what my mind won't. I guess I'm what people would call a walking corpse now, but I really don't care. I've got everything taken care of, and if I somehow, fortunately, die, I have made sure Aya will be well-taken care of, even if she never wakes up.

With the dreadful thought of Aya and the memories of my short childhood, I feel the darkness grip at my consciousness and pull me into a restless slumber.

* * *

[Schuldich]

I stand across the street, right under the lamp post in broad daylight, not even bothering to hide in the shadows like I used to do whenever I watched him. It is around six in the morning, but I'm not feeling the fatigue that I should be, especially since I'm a night person. Crawford always had to dish out some sweet deal to get me to work on missions that involved times before noon. And yet, here I am, standing in the chilly, damp morning across from a pathetic excuse of an apartment, just waiting and watching. Not for financial purposes, not for my world-changing revenue, but for the one person that I have grown fond of, and the person that steals my heart without even trying.

And being the Mastermind, I'm not about to ruin my reputation and let the person steal from me without getting anything back. I'm going to make him pay... by stealing him.

The whole package.

On the dot, my little thief comes out of his apartment, tightening his hold on the trenchcoat that is probably the only thing he keeps from the good old days. I frown tightly at his figure. Nagi had given me a picture of his before I come; it was taken from a long distance, and even then, he looked paler and skinnier than I had remembered. But now, being so close to him, especially with that familiar dark leather trenchcoat, I am this close to crying out and yelling at him for being an idiot to let himself waste away like this. Now, being a genius in tricking both men and women to bed that I am, where that Balinese kitty looks like a pathetic teenage amateur compared to me, I am more than good in judging a person's size from their neck all the way to their toes in one look. Sure, my little Abby here is always covered from head to toe, afraid to show that delicate, creamy skin I have had the previlege of seeing many times, albeit during bad situations and timing, but I've become such a close friend with his trenchcoat that I know how to do some calculations of my own. He has lost at least half of his weight over the three month period that I've last seen his pretty little face before we pulled their asses out of the water, and the dark circles under his eyes look worse than before. Has he gotten any sleep lately!? I fume to myself, my fists tightening, the pain of my nails digging into my palm the only way I can refrain from grabbing him tightly and tying him down to bed until he gets back to being at least somewhat healthy.

Woo, tying him down on the bed... Such nice images that thought conjures up...

Down, boy, I know you're eager. So am I.

It is almost alarming to me when he walks down the empty, cold pavement streets without even looking at me. Either he knows I'm watching him already and doesn't care, or whatever he's doing to himself is affecting his senses. Hell, six months ago when I watched him, I had to come with full peeping-tom equipement - binoculars, high-quality far-sight scope, the whole charade, just so I wouldn't be detected. The man has senses and intuition better than a real cat's... More like a jaguar. Always cautious, always watching his back, but never loses the grace that can only be praised as one of God's best works.

But now, I hate to admit, but the jaguar is no more. A sickly cat, wobbling down the street, stopping every now and then to catch his breath, before continuing on a trip that looks like he's heading for the River Styx. I trail behind him by about a foot or so, not even bothering to wear a hat or pull up my collar to conceal my unnatural hair. Hey, I like green , and it looks good on me. Who cares about stares from just about everybody except my beloved kitty in bewilderment and fingers pointing at me, gossip so loud that it really shouldn't be called gossip anymore. Honestly, I wouldn't have any problem with them just coming up to me and telling me that my hair is defying nature and that I am a bad boy or asking if I'm involved with the mafia. I would have given them either the finger or a very long, confusing speech on how wrong they are and how right I am and mess with their minds until they couldn't function. Personally, I like the second method better, since it's more fun, even though it's time consuming. Well, most fun things in life make one forgets about time easily.

Yet he still doesn't notice me, even after he enters the restaurant he works at, changes, and starts mopping the floor. I look at the quaint little Japanese restaurant located in the heart of town. It is large enough to comfortably seat at least thirty people, with a sushi bar and a karaoke stage. I can already imagine my kitten's nose wrinkling ever so slightly in his distaste for loud noise, and his grip on the plates increases just a little so he won't rush up the stage to strangle people. I don't understand how those other Weiss idiots keep complaining how cold, distant and closed-off Aya is; you just have to know where to look. Tiny gestures that are done unconsciously, with their sole usage being to control any appearance of his emotions. He was brought up like a normal boy, after all... Just life playing its trick on my kitty and making him oppress that part of him that is nothing but purity and innocence. I want to see that, one day, if possible.

No, scratch that. I **will** see that. I will see the part of him that even he has forgotten about.

The part of him that I killed three years ago, on that fateful, rainy night.

The night that I killed his parents, and fell in love with him.

* * *

It is ten til four in the morning as I lean against the rust-stained wall of his apartment, chain smoking. Sure, the nicotine will give me cancer and kill me one of these days in the very distant future, but try waiting on a guy who keeps the most insane hours that I've ever seen while having no fun humans to toy around with. At least in Tokyo mind-sick people are everywhere, and waiting was never dull or boring. In the past several hours I've already gone through every creatures' mind around the immediate neighborhood of the boy, and I've got to say, this is the most boring bunch I've come across so far.

I really don't need to know how to cook a tuna in a million ways... Come on, people! At least have a sex affair or money problem so that I can be entertained! I'll die of boredom before I die of lung cancer, I swear.

It takes me only three days to know Aya's schedule thoroughly. The town must have been rubbing off on him, not that he was interesting to begin with. He gets up at six, sometimes seven if his body is complaining, and goes to the hospital, then work, then hospital, then more work until three or four in the morning, depending on what his foreman decides that evening. Then my dull little kitten comes home, washes his clothes, showers, and passes out until his nightmares wake him up. More accurate than an alarm clock.

Well, I hope he enjoys abusing himself for these three months while I have to spend in Tokyo helping Crawford to set everything up and running, then tie up a few loose strings before I am allowed to leave. Which proves how much trouble he went through to cover up his tracks when it took Nagi that long to find his location. Well, then again, Nagi was preoccupied since the Feds and SECs were breathing down dear Crawfish's neck, and the little genius just had to keep him out of hot water over and over. Nagi may be a submissive in bed, but damn can that boy be aggressive. I wouldn't be surprised if Crawfish eventually bottoms up.

I would pay to see the video of that... Wonder if Farfie would like to make some money on the side. All he has to do is set up the camera that I'll buy and send the tape to me...

My train of thoughts of where the camera should go in Brad's bedroom is cut short when heavy, exhausted footsteps begin up the stairs. I straighten my clothes slightly, then slap myself on the head mentally for caring how I look. He wouldn't care if I'm standing naked in front of him, not now, I bet, and I don't even need to peek into his mind for that tidbit of information. Who would care much about how an enemy that tried to kill you viciously with unfair supernatural powers just three months ago dresses? Slipping into the world-defying smirk I usually wear, I resume my relaxed wall-leaning position.

It takes him another five minutes to finally make it up to the third floor, and I frown slightly at that. When I say I know Aya's schedule thoroughly, I mean down to the minutes and seconds he spends doing certain activities, and he never needed more than three minutes to get up here. Something must be wrong with him. Did he injure himself at work? I wasn't there watching today 'cause I was busy shopping in the supermarket next town, which explains the numerous plastic bags next to me now on the floor.

When he gets to the third floor, he finally looks up to me, sensing my presence at last in the days that I have been watching him. His delicate face colors with an ill, yet incredibly seductive blush, and his eyes cloud as he squints those misty amethysts to get a better look at me. Realization dawns on him eventually as his hand flies to his right side where his katana's handle used to be, then he curses at the lack of weaponry there. "...What do you want, Schwartz?" he grits out, glaring at me with an expression that even Crawford had learned to fear.

I smile bitterly, never knowing how much hurt it would bring to see such distrust and hatred in his eyes, and how the way he said my family's name could sting so much. "What do you think, kitten? To see you, of course."

"Come to seek your revenge?"

I shrug, my hands out to the side in the most disarming way I can muster, "Pat me down if you like, Aya. I didn't bring any weapons with me." I pause, switching to those alien voices that were on the most recent sci-fi movie, "I come in peace."

The beautiful redhead only narrows his eyes more, the dangerous glint intensifies tenfold with that hardened look, "You don't need weapons to kill, Schwartz."

Ouch. Who knew that having supernatural power would hurt so much? I sigh, giving him the 'are-you-an-idiot?' look, "If I wanted to kill you with my powers, wouldn't you be dead already?"

Amazingly, Aya smiles, the curl of his lips stuns me at the most beautiful display I've ever seen, even if it's dripping with dark sarcasm and amusement. "You're more of a cat than any of us, Schwartz. You enjoy toying with your victim before brutally ending its life."

This time, I freeze because of how painful the truth is. He looks at me heatedly, before all of the emotional appearance drops as he takes out the keys from his apartment. Perhaps knowing that he can't escape my wrath should I choose to do so, he opens the door with a casual pace, and enters it without even looking at me. I put my foot between the door and the wall to stop him from completely closing it, and he sighs softly, leaving it open for me to enter. I stand at the doorway, watching him as he turns on the single lightbulb in the middle of the room, the dim light only sufficient to let the boy walk around without bumping into anything.

I move the instant he starts wobbling in his walk, putting a hand on his back and another on his shoulder, wincing slightly at the lack of muscle or fat there. He struggles weakly, glaring at me as he delivers several kicks to my knees, ones that should have hurt but didn't. Sighing, I lift him up and toss him over my shoulder, where he gasps and stills, probably extremely confused at the current situation. I dump him unceremoniously on the sofa, and keep him there with a hand on his chest while I pull out the entire bed with another. He let out a grunt, but otherwise just keeps glaring at me as I proceed to strip off his dust and oil-covered uniform. Fuck, is that motor oil? I'm gonna burn this later. Dust and grime I can tolerate, but my kitten should **not** come within breathing distance of motor oil.

"What are you doing?" he asks oh-so-intelligently, his voice too weak for my liking, even though his glare is still chilling enough to make ice cream with it.

I don't even bother to stop my work as I finish unbuttoning the many annoying and ugly buttons of his shirt, "Stripping you."

"Schwartz, just kill me. Don't humiliate me."

I sigh as I scoop him up enough to peel the disgusting shirt off of him, and lay him down gently. I can see confusion swirl in with the feverish glaze in his eyes before I start to unbuckle his belt. "Believe it or not, that's the last thing I would do to you."

He huffs, calling me a liar without verbalizing it. Rolling my eyes, I strip him of the horrifying pants and dump them into the bathtub. When I come back, I frown at him for trying to get up, and I growl. He looks up hesitantly at me, the confusion intensifying as he focuses on my angry look. "Lie down, you stupid bastard. You have a fucking fever and who knows how high your temperature is. And don't be a pain or I'll call Nagi here to hold you down with his power. You don't want two Schwartz under your roof, do you?"

Aya stares at me defiantly for a while, but this is not a staring contest that he can win, especially when I'm the one that's healthy and he's not. Giving up at last, he slumps back to the bed, closing his eyes in defeat. Knowing that the boy won't try that stunt again, I start searching around the apartment until I find spare clothing enough to keep him warm and an unused cloth. Wetting the cloth with warm water, I play a dutiful nurse as I start cleaning the grime off of his body gently, using enough pressure to make the touches not seductive. God knows how hard that is, really, especially when the object of my masturbating fantasy is lying in front of me naked. But sex is the last thing I think about now, when beating the shit out of this beautiful kitten for not taking care of himself is more of a priority than fucking him silly. That'll come later.

Having him cleaned of dust and grime, I return to the bathroom to put aside the cloth, noting to myself to clean it later or the kitten might get angry. When I return, I am more than shocked to see Aya fast asleep, curling up ever-so-slightly on the bed. While thinking that he trusts me is too much of a hope, I do find myself giddy for him to let down his guard enough to sleep in front of his former enemy. Then again, he could just be thinking that since I'm here to kill him and he has no way of fighting me, it doesn't matter if he sleeps or not. The thought put a damper on my giddiness quicker than you can say 'sushi'.

Don't know where the sushi comes from. Don't care.

I gently lift him up, causing him to whimper slightly in protest before growing silent once more, and I dress him as carefully as I can. Thankfully and perhaps regrettably, he does not wake up from his slumber as I tuck the blanket over him. Now finished with my first task, I set about getting the groceries that still sit in the hallway outside his door and bring them in. Just as I suspected, the boy went as far as not having anything remotely edible in his entire apartment, and not even bothering to have a pan. Putting away the fresh ingredients first, then the canned goods and cooking utensils, and finally the additional silverware and china, I am not surprised when the sun is up when I finish. Looking about the small living arrangement of his, I roll my eyes at the lack of phone and proceed to search the house for clues. Eventually I find the numbers for both the restaurant and the foreman of the construction site, my kitten being one that never tosses away anything people give to him, and call in sick for him at the restaurant and quit at the construction site. Presumptuous of me, but I will not allow him to work at the construction site, if I have to fight him fists and kicks. He is going to keep a sleeping and eating schedule that resembles normal human beings from now on, or my name ain't Schuldich.

* * *

[Aya]

For the first time in perhaps years, I wake up not feeling comfortable and fuzzy in regards to reality, albeit the fact that my nose feels stuffed and so does my head. The first thing that I notice is the wonderful smell that seems to occupy my immediate surroundings, and the next is that the fear and panic and guilt that usually accompany my waking is absent. Turning my head to the side, I wonder at the image of seeing a massive display, in my own terms, of food on the kodatsu table a few inches away from me.

Then I sit up straight, glaring at the square table with a heating fan underneath to keep warm in the center of my apartment. Add onto that a sizzling sound coming from the kitchen, where I can see many pots and pans are now hanging from a hook from the cabinet, and the plates that I have no memory of with food that I do not remember knowing the recipe of. Then again, even if I did know, there is no way in both Heaven and Earth the outcome would be this simple yet elegant. I look around the small space, and am too shocked to even form a decent anger towards the culprit whom I know could be the only one that has the audacity to change my living quarters without informing me.

Other than the kodatsu in the middle, with four matching mats on each side for sitting, there is also bedding rolled into a ball tucked neatly away in a corner. A stack of DVDs and games are on my large, unused cabinet, with a large TV and a PlayStation 2 next to it. There are some books on the other side which I find to be interesting and intriguing enough just by the title alone to keep, even if I throw away the rest of these items plus the fucking German that put them there, and hell, even my light is changed to a florescent one that guarantees more comfortable lighting at night. I stand up slowly, frowning at the new blanket which is much too warm for my taste that was wrapped around me the night before, and slowly trot to the kitchen. I can hear clearly that someone is singing in the shower stall, an out-of-pitch German song at that, and that a pot is slowly cooking miso soup as the other pot is simmering porridge that is the ideal food for one that is ill. Opening the fridge, my eyes widen at the packed space with every food from the five food groups, even with some chocolate sauce and a six-pack of beer. There are some frozen ingredients in the freezer, and two types of ice cream that I used to love when I was still in school.

Before I can decide whether I should throw the porridge on the German when he comes out or the miso soup, a nasal voice drolls, "What are you doing out of your little bed, kitty? Kittens are not allowed in the kitchen, you know."

I turn, closing the fridge as gently as I can before glaring at the Schwartz with my hopefully full-hearted hateful glare, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"I thought it was obvious," he smiles, waving the towel that hangs around his neck at me, "I am cooking a meal and since they both take a while, I went to take a quick shower."

I glare harder; that is not what I wanted to know. His left eyebrow arches up amusingly, and he leans on the small bar, looking at me with that annoying smirk of his. "Oh, didn't you know, kitten? I'm your new roommate now."

My eyes widen at the words as if I should have known of the fact, and that it is my fault for forgetting. After a while of speechlessness, I manage to ask, quite intelligently, "...What?!"

Schuldich laughs, and straightens as he walks around the bar to me, putting his hand on my forehead. I flinch, and I blink confusingly as a flash of pain quickly disappears from his topaz eyes. He looks as if nothing happened, and starts pushing me out of the kitchen, "Go back to bed. And for crying out loud, put on that jacket that I put next to you, will you? Has nobody ever taught you how to take care of yourself? Geez."

I let him half-guide, half-force me until I sit on the bed, while trying to use my hazy mind to determine what exactly it is this man is trying to do. He could have killed me yesterday at any time, and yet he is cooking me lunch now.

Wait, lunch!?

I look at my alarm clock abruptly, and inhale sharply as the digital numbers of 1:30pm glare back at me. I stand and am about to change when Schuldich is at my side once more, taking away the clothes I have in my hand. "Oh, no, no, no. You are now confined to the bed until I say so," he says, his tone chastising like one would a kid. I turn to glare at him, hating the fact that even though I am considerably taller than most Japanese, he still stands a good three inches above me, his ethnicity helping him out in dwarfing me. Forcing me back to the bed for the second time this day, he shakes his head as he goes back to the kitchen to tend the soup and porridge. "Oh, and you know, you really don't need to change Aya-chan's flowers everyday. They do live three days after."

I growl as I glare at him, he probably got my routine of life from my mind. I hate it when that happens. "None of your business," I hiss out.

Schuldich frowns slightly as he studies me for a bit before setting down two bowls of porridge and the miso soup, and sighs, "Give me some credit, will ya? I am perceptive and charming, not to mention incredibly handsome. So, naturally, the nurses in that hospital volunteer the information before I even ask. I don't need my power in such trivial matters. And, yes, kitten, now you may move your cute little butt here and start eating your lunch."

I look away, the feeling of guilt in consuming resources returns at the mention of food. I make no move from my spot on the bed, having no will or intention of eating the food. The hateful German watches me for about five minutes or so before dramatically sighing, "Well, guess I'll just have to throw away this extra serving since I can't finish it." With that, he stands up, and proceeds to take the other bowls of porridge and miso soup away. I glare at him, daring him to do such a heinous act in wasting food resources. But when he moves to the kitchen and starts pouring away the miso soup, I cry, "All right! Stop!"

He turns, a triumphant smile tugging at his lips, and I find myself being set up. He knew of my personal morals, or as Youji often calls it 'pet peeves', before he even started cooking. I am willing to bet the limited money that I have on me that he anticipated what I was going to do and came up with counter-arguments before I spoke my first word upon awakening.

And I am beyond furious in knowing that he has more than likely to used his powers in obtaining that information.

Sitting down on the mat across from him, I pick up the chopsticks and try the teriyaki salmon, and my eyes widen slightly from the absolutely exquisite taste I am experiencing. Growing up a banker's son, no matter how short such life was, I was able to experience life with material goodness, which includes food from fine restaurants in major cities in Japan. This, however, even though it is just simple Japanese traditional breakfast for the sick, it is the best that I have ever tasted.

And this comes from the man that I hate, who suppose to hates me enough to toy with me before ending my life.

* * *

I was confined to my home for a total of four days until my fever came down, during which I was fed three times a day with food equivalent to a five-star restaurant, and given medicines that knocked me out nearly immediately. And during that time my apartment went from below bare minimum to a comfortable home, cursed to say, for two. In his days here, forcibly entering into my life without my consent, he decided to add more china and silverware, some even matching for reasons he would not tell me, and many other redundant items that he claims are his and I cannot discard them. There is now a bookshelf that hosts the books, DVDs, and games he bought, and suddenly, this apartment has cable for the TV and a working phone.

My living quarters transformed into a liveable, comfortable home.

And that unnerves me greatly.

Knowing that I am rid of the annoying flu that keeps me incapable of tossing the German out, I wake up much earlier than I did the past four days. I look at the alarm clock and know that there is no time to visit Aya-chan today, but at least I can get to work before the German pesters me with more pampering. His tactics in seriously annoying me have succeeded, and I decide to counter that by leaving earlier than he wakes. Since my work schedules occupy me most of the day and night, I will only have to worry about seeing the man for two hours out of twenty-four.

But my hope is quashed when I see the kodatsu that folds away every night to give him space for his bedding returned to its day position, with a net cover over a well-made breakfast. A note is on the table next to an envelope, and the apartment is empty. Whenever he's around, he makes sure to make as much noise as he can if I'm awake, and the television is usually on a very soft level when I'm going to sleep. After a quick glance, I frown slightly at the absence of the German, hoping that he wouldn't be out shopping once more. Sighing, I sit down on the mat, and pick up the note.

_My Little Kitten~ (with a sketch of a cat next to it)_

_Breakfast is on the table. If I find it left alone, I'm just gonna throw it away. You know the drill._

_Your check for the construction site is on the table. I've called your foreman, and quit your job for you. Not sleeping is not good for you, especially not for your beauty. So for my eyes' benefit, you have to keep that pretty little face of yours beautiful at all times. Dairo-san was nice enough to give you the entire month's pay, isn't he sweet? ^v^_

_I'll see you later! *heart*_

_Your Beloved Handsome Schuldich_

I sit on the mat, my brain completely malfunctioning as any curse words in any known language in the world cannot describe how furious I am at this German right now. I open the envelope, and sure enough, the minimal monthly pay from the site is accounted for. I find it appalling that the foreman would give my money to some complete stranger. Then again, I wouldn't put it above the German to not use his power in persuading the poor workman.

Since there is a phone in the house now, even though it will create great annoyance, I decide to use it. I find the foreman's telephone right next to the phone, and I dial it, using the phone for the first time in three months. The man answers sleepily, and after knowing who I am, he speaks frantically about not being able to hire me anymore even if I do want to come back, and that he knows of no one that will give me any night job in ten miles' radius around this town. I try to speak with a steady voice, promising the man his safety front and back to finally get him to tell me why exactly I am not welcome to any job after eight p.m. Turns out that Schuldich brought with him a small handgun, and with his ever-so-charming smile, though Dairo-san refers to it as the smile of Satan, told him to spread the news to all the contractor he knows not to hire me. He was only too happy to oblige.

I thank the frightened man before hanging up the phone. Unable to control my anger, I slam my fist down on the kitchen counter, needing the pain to drain off my fury. There is no reason to maintain the anger; what's been done is done. I sigh, feeling exhausted even though I just woke up, and start to get ready for work. At least he did not think of getting me fired from my day job, thankfully, in the most horrid sense.

I arrive at the restaurant ten minutes before eight, having misjudged the time since I haven't eaten breakfast for a while and didn't know how long it would take. As I start to change into the uniform, Keiko comes up behind me, and slaps my back hard as she laughs, "He did a great job! Look at you, gaining a bit of weight and looking more like a human!"

I choke at the sudden hard slap, and sigh as I finish buttoning my shirt. I frown as I study the short, stout woman, deciding to play ignorant, "Who?"

"Who else?" the deep baritone answers for her from behind me, and I feel as if the hairs on my back all do a standing ovation. I turn, and my eyes widen at the sight of the German-

In a working apron.

With the stupid fish-headed child logo in the dead center.

"You like?" Schuldich smiles widely, too happy to see my stunned look. He twirls around playfully, only making me wince in disgust. "I start work today with you! Isn't this exciting, kitten?" he asks, using the most annoying tone that guarantees my death looks.

I glare at him, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Schuldich fakes a hurt look, pouting as he clutches onto Keiko, who is trying her best not to laugh her ass off next to me, "Well, if I want to live with you, I need to make money for my rent, right? So I'm getting a job, dummy."

I arch my eyebrow at the statement, but years of training helps keep my expression neutral. I'm more than sure that he takes great joy in seeing my anger, and I refuse to give him the pleasure. "Kiyoshi-san must've been blind," I comment nonchalantly, finish tying my own apron and get ready for work.

He gasps in pain dramatically, and collapses on my mentor, who starts laughing loudly. "Oh! How low you take me for, my darling?! Did you not know I have the skill of a five-star professional chef?! I am crushed."

I resist the urge to roll my eyes as I pass by the laughing duo, surprised at myself for being angry at how well Keiko and Schuldich seem to get along. If she wishes to befriend that idiot, it isn't my place to say otherwise.

Keiko comes out from the back after I take down all the chairs on top of the tables, and starts filling in napkins into the metal holders. "I really don't see why you need to be so pissy about Schuldich, you know," she says, and I purposely ignore her as I start filling the condiment jars with the proper sauces. Too used to my silent treatment, Keiko continues her talk as if I have just responded, "I mean, he obviously is from that past of yours you never wanted to talk about, which everybody respects that and stuff... But he came to you, and so far as I've seen, he's been good to you. Got you to eat too."

"I don't like to waste food," I say slowly, starting to distribute the condiment trays around the tables. Keiko follows me with the napkins, determination clear on her face.

"You don't eat at all! Even if it means threatening you, it's still good to have him watch over you. You don't know how good you've become after only four days!"

"... ..."

"Listen, I don't know him as well as you do, but I do know that he cares very much about you. So why not just be civil to him, since I doubt you can get rid of him that easily as a roommate? Besides, you need a roommate to watch over your insanity. Not eating like you do... It's not as if you need to be on a diet like me!"

"... ..."

"Fine, don't talk, but I'm siding with Schuldich and I will rope Kiyoshi-san with me. Then you'll be all alone and concede!"

I sigh, returning to the register and turn to Keiko, "All right. You win. But the moment he crosses my line of tolerance, he's sleeping on the streets."

Keiko only smiles too victoriously for my liking, "I'll make sure to let him know."

-To Be Continued

**Author's Mewlings: **I'm kind of imitating my favorite FFVIII author's, Sukunami-sama, style for writing a fic in terms of length and point of view. So far all I've encountered are really tense shifting (since I'm used to writing in past tense) and adding a 's' at the end of a verb or not. w Surprisingly, Schuldich and Aya are being very cooperative in this story, and it's coming along quite nicely. However, I realize why Sukunami-sama writes about one chapter a month now, since it is quite time-consuming in writing a chapter length about 7k words per chapter. ^^;; It took me nearly 2 weeks to finish this chapter. I'm going to try to speed it up in the next chapter or so, since I really don't want to drag this fic into school year... But if it does, I'll try to write as much as I can in the weekends. T_T


	3. Courante

_**Disclaimer**: The settings and characters of Weiss Kreuz belongs to Koyasu-san and Project Weiss © I do not know these fine gents from Japan, nor do I claim these characters are mine at all. There will be no need for international lawsuits, since I am a flat broke otaku that just like to torture these characters. _

_**Feedback: **__I'm a review whore... So... Please review? This fic will be a multi-chapter, and I will need all of your help and support to finish this. ^^;; So please let me know what you think of this! And for reviewers: I'd love to send you emails so if you can attach your email in the review I would be honored! w_

_**Note:**_ _Many settings from this fic is derived from the manga of Weiss Kreuz instead of the anime, so Schuldich hair is green instead of orange, and Aya's parents were killed in the explosion in their office building instead of their home. Just to clarify that in case there are some confusion in terms of history and colorings. *nod nod*_

**_NC-17 Warning:_**_ There are _**_explicit sexual _**_scenes in this chapter. If you are not comfortable with these type of content or is __under the age of 18__, please only read the first half of the story and skip the sexual part. You have been warned, and no more disclaimer or attempt to shield the sexual parts will be given further._

**Tarnished Rhapsody**

_**Courante  
**__August 2004_

[Aya]

It is nothing short of a miracle that Schuldich and I have lived together peacefully, with no one either killed or maimed, for six months. To say the relationship as roommates, or lack thereof, is awkward doesn't do it justice. At least on my part, I think. He is more than content in where he is, sleeping on the floor and being literally my personal dietician, while both of us know that he earns enough as the second chef in the restaurant to sleep elsewhere. How he got to work as a second chef in this small, family-based restaurant is still beyond me.

Every morning I wake at the sweet smell of breakfast; each day is different in some way. It only took him a week to find out some of my favorite foods that I didn't even know I liked. It's almost scary to think how he knows more about me than I do. He refuses to let me do the shopping unless he goes with me, which I refused vehemently, and very soon afterward I found myself being 'handled', or manipulated, as I allowed him to takes care of anything around the household. I no longer use the generic shampoo but those with fruit scents that he likes so much until I complained, and then it was botanicals that I recalled seeing on the television with a woman making strange sounds while she washes her hair. I still don't understand why Schuldich laughs so hard whenever he sees those commercials.

To tell the truth, putting aside the major annoyance of him interfering with my life, watching over me eating all the food he gives me like a hawk and making sure I somehow get involve with what he calls 'fun' all the time, life living with this menace isn't as bad as it sounds. I still dislike most of the shows on the television, but under his influence some western drama shows with policemen and prosecutors started to fascinate me. The bookshelf has expanded in its collection, and I was shocked to discover how talented Schuldich is in the art of language. Aside from his native language and Japanese, Schuldich is also fluent in French and English, and some Irish he picked up from the Madman. Knowing my interest in knowledge, he purchased some English textbooks and started teaching me a while back. The German goes out of his way to purchase English version of certain video games, and translate them for me word by word so I can understand their meaning while learning.

Schuldich never lets me off when he is doing something that he considers fun. All right, so most of the general public consider them fun, but that doesn't mean I need to understand them. Nevertheless, he never seemed to care what my opinion was, but just dragged me along and forced me to play them. One prime example is those video games he seems so infatuated about. Over the past six months, I've learned how to play role playing games, and I always had to read him cheat codes and moves from the strategy guide when he tossed the book at me. As if I didn't have better things to do...

It's scary that I spend almost the complete twenty-four hours of a day with the man I once hated with passion. Ever since he got himself a job in the restaurant, we almost always leave the apartment together, and I don't know what is wrong with Kiyoshi-san, but he lets Schuldich leave at the same time as I do, even though chefs are suppose to leave the last. I still suspect the German to this day, since almost everyone in the restaurant is smiling in a very disturbing way whenever we bid them goodbye.

In all honesty, I have to say I do enjoy his companionship. I never realized how lonely I was until the noisy idiot forced himself into my life, filling my every minute with his presence. He knows me, somehow, better than I know myself, and I often find myself studying him in return. I know from experience when he's using his powers to peer into others' minds, and the feeling I'd have if he ever tried to enter mine. Many times during our battles in the past I'd fought against the sickly feeling of being penetrated mentally, and having to slam heavy shields around my mind that left me feeling nauseas and exhausted afterwards. Weaker minds such as Omi or even Ken had vomited after such an onslaught, describing the experience as reliving their worst moments in life vividly with no control and their minds being torn open by the German so he could search for what he wanted. I can't count how many times I have seen my teammates' eyes glazed in a ghastly way as Schuldich laughed maliciously until one of us attacked him to wipe that smirk off his face.

And now, I live with him. Oh joy.

I don't know when, or even how, but I think I let down my guard around him after a while. At first, I kept a close eye on him and the ones surrounding him, making sure to have one of the sashimi knives one hand to kill him if he dared to use his powers on any one I know of. That never happened, however, and I only found out how charming the man can be and how his dark humor always seemed to crack everyone around him up. Laughter always accompanied him wherever he went, and during the down time everyone loved to either crowd the kitchen or join him as he supervised my lunch. Not that I'm complaining, but it's oddly disturbing to see everyone like him so much when... when he just started working there six months ago. It really isn't that long comparing to others... like me...

Shaking my head furiously, I growl as I scoop another spoonful of curry rice and eat it as if the spoon owes me ten million yen, my teeth banging against the metal loudly. Schuldich stops in his mid-rant about how he challenged Kiyoshi-san earlier that day with a French-style Japanese cuisine and how he plans on beating him and looks at me oddly with concern, "What's wrong?"

I look up from glaring at my food, and study his features intently. When has the sight of him stopped making me feel enraged or disgusted? We both know that I still hold him responsible for pushing the trigger to my parents' demise, and Aya-chan's coma. When did being woken up by him instead of the alarm clock become so normal that I don't reach to the space next to me on the bed where I used to have my blade there? And at what point in time did eating the food he made become a natural thing that I stop preparing myself for the poisonous attack to my body?

Schuldich blinks, confused at the way I'm looking at him, and gives me a smile before he shrugs, returning to his own food. He is more than used to my silent treatment, and resumes his story about the research he has done online when we first came home, and what kind of French cuisine he wants to try to mix with a Japanese style. He looks up once more when he doesn't see me move my chopstick, and sighs, "What's wrong, chibi? You're not eating. I like you with some fat, you know? So you'll be softer when I hug you. When have you seen a skinny teddy bear?" he teases.

Ignoring his attempt in making me go back to my food, I put down my half-eaten bowl of rice and stare at him, sorting out my confusions in my head. After prioritizing what I want to ask, I speak up, "Why haven't you used your powers all this time?"

Perhaps surprised at the first time since he lives with me that I initiated the conversation, he loses his hold of the salmon and let the piece of tender meat drops from his chopstick and lands in the pile of teriyaki sauce. He curses in a colorful string as he makes a mad dash to the kitchen to grab a moist cloth, and hurries back to wipe off the sauce landed on the mat and the tatami, before taking care of the stain on his favorite Final Fantasy T-shirt. I wait patiently until he returns to his seat, after exchanging the wet mat with one of the spare adjacent to us, and look at him expectantly.

Grinning in that annoying way of his, he perches on arm on the table as he rests his chin on his hand, "Why ask, lovely?"

I narrow my eyes, letting the idiot know that I do not wish to repeat or elaborate on my question. The staring contest ends when I simply figure he won't give the answer and return to my dinner. Just as I put in another piece of salmon into my mouth, he decides to speak. "Because you don't like it."

"...So?"

"So I won't do it."

I look up once more, confusion clear in my eyes. He smiles and shakes his head, giving me the 'what can I do with this idiot' look, which instantly makes me feel as if I'd just won the award for world's dumbest creation. I narrow my eyes, and he only smiles wider. "Stupid kitty. It's because I love you."

My eyes widen at the answer, and I merely stare at him like he had just grown two more heads. The casual way he said the words make me frown once more, and I scowl, "Toying with me, Schuldich? You've reached an all-time low."

Schuldich laughs, and shrugs, "No, I'm not. See, 'toying' is for idiotic people who think chasing after some cute boy's ass with screams and flowers and their nude breasts are their life, and what I do with them is called toying. For you, my little kitten, I tease and cherish you. There is a difference."

I remember the last time he drags me out for some 'fun'. We took a train into the heart of Osaka, and he put me at a window seat of a fast food restaurant, instructed me not to leave at all. After leaving me with a tray of chicken nuggets, fries and soft drinks, he put on the disguise he brought with him, a black hair wig and a pair of sunglasses, went down and into the street. I saw him acted all excited and shocked, and took out a cell phone that I knew he found on the train we took. He started talking loudly, which he told me later was about his supposed sighting of a visual rock band down the street in another corner. His voice was so loud, apparently, that immediately he was surrounded by many girls and even some boys. With his unfailing charm, he convinced the crowd and suddenly, there was a stampede as he cleverly stepped out of the way, and everyone within the five mile radius started running towards the way Schuldich pointed them to. When given the chance, the German weaved through the craze and dived into the restaurant. He changed quickly and joined me, popping in two fries in his mouth at once as he panted, laughing hysterically. Nobody cared, since the restaurant emptied within the first five minutes after the first girl ran away screaming. The stampede soon ended when people realized, after nearly an hour, that the sighting was false, and people swarmed into the restaurant once more, cursing at random people for giving them false information.

It was a stupid prank, but it was one that I've only read on the books, never seen done. He called it the 'idiocracy of the mass.' I call it a sick game.

A flick on my nose brings me back into present situation, and my eyes crossed before glaring back at him. He snickers, and sits back to his side of the table. I scowl again, and before I can warn him for lying to me, he speaks up, his voice oddly softer now. "Don't think too much on it, okay? You'll probably just get a headache that way. Just know that I live here because I love you - I like you a lot, and that I won't do anything you despise. No promise on things that will potentially annoy you though. 'cause that'll just be too cruel for moi. I need my daily entertainment, ya know." He pauses, and snickers softly, "But just know that your ass is mine, and off limit to anybody else or I'll have to kill them."

I figure salvation was too much of a hope anyway, so I merely glares once more, and returns to my food. There will be another time of battling this out with him, but first, I need to think.

And what does my ass have to do with anything?

* * *

[Schuldich]

After my dying declaration of love to the absolutely clueless kitten nearly four months past, life is still normal between the two of us. It's actually quite sad, really, and I become a laughing stock in the kitchen. Not that I mind, since providing amusement is so much better than providing death. Not that when it comes to my turn of preparing lunch I wouldn't give them my pay back, however. I'm sure Kimiko, the head waitress, and Keiko are still having nightmares and diarrhea about my special bento and smoothies.

I can't find it in me to blame Aya for being ignorant in the art of seduction, even when he's in the receiving end. Partly, it's my own fault, and I have nobody else to blame but myself. Wait, I do, but the Takatori brothers are already dead so there really isn't much I can do on that end besides cursing them repeatedly in my mind. When I blew up the building and killed his parents, consequently sending his sister into a coma, I also quashed whatever sexual exploration he may have wanted back then. He was brought up in a very strict, traditional Japanese family, where sex was a forbidden topic at home. And heaven forbid, the boy went to a private Catholic school, where nearly all of his classmates came from the same type of family. At least throughout middle school, my little kitten had no desire and in-depth knowledge of anything sexual. And he was a high school freshman for two months before he had to drop out and start seeking his revenge.

My guess is, Aya is a late bloomer from the start, since I've located his middle school yearbooks for all three years and he looked like an adorable child who sat in front of the class and stood in first row of the group picture. Only when he was in third year did he start to grow in height. Who knew he grew up to be such a tall, handsome, absolutely sexy God that I worship? When his parents died and he shifted his goal in life to revenge, I think he pushed all of the usual adolescent needs, including sex, to the side and focused all his energy into tracking down Takatori and killing him. So in a sense, he skipped puberty completely with my aid and now he has no idea that I am hitting on him daily. I was told to put a damper on it because I'm disturbing others in the restaurant.

It's quite surprising how open this little town is of our relationship, or lack thereof. Hey, I'm still working on it! At our current rate, though, it probably won't be until I'm too old for even viagra to help me that my kitten would realize how much I want him. The entire town pretty much has a good idea why I bothered to chase down his pretty ass and force myself into his life, and while half of town chooses to overlook our relationship (or what I attempt to have,) the other half makes it their business in fixing the two of us together. I don't mind sometimes, except when they force me to report my status and laugh at my misery whenever I whine about how much I failed at wooing my object of obsession.

But the good part of it is in the morning, when Kiyoshi-san doesn't have that much preparation works to do, he lets me to tend the sushi bar so I can have a better look at Aya's ass as he dusts the tables and mops the floors. I worship my boss now, not like Brad, since all of the shows I get to see in my life, having Aya bending over the larger tables and dusting it, his ass unconsciously wiggling in mid-air really gives me enough materials for my late-night fantasies. And as usual for this morning, I am wiping the cutting areas and organizing plates at the counter as I enjoy my daily erotic show when Keiko slaps me hard on the back. "Hey, Schu!"

"Ack, woman! What have you against me?!" I cry, nearly having my breakfast beat out of me. Turning to her, I glare as she tsks, waving her chubby finger in front of my face.

"Uh-uh, don't be rude to me now, you ungrateful brat, because I come bearing gifts!" She grins, and casts a look at Aya who looks away from us immediately. I arch my eyebrow curiously, and put the towel down as I cross my arms.

"Oh? And what gift?"

"Ta-da!" she giggles, covering her mouth as she hands me a DVD. "I found this in my brother's room. It's amazing what treasures you can find when you have three adolescent brothers at home. I thought you'd like it, so I hijacked it from him."

I narrow my eyes at the weird title of the tape, obviously cheap porn, probably shot by some amateur wannabes. 'The Adventure of Little Red Riding Head,' it says, and I scoff, "Um, lady... I've seen some really good porno in my life, and even though I claim I'm bi, I'm really into penis and ass right now. I doubt vagina and breasts would work, ya know?"

Keiko merely lifted her eyebrow at me, and grined mischievously. I guess being the big sister of three brothers and two sisters would give a person nerves of steel. She smirks devilishly, "All right, I'll make you a bet. If by the end of this tape you don't have a hard on, I'll do all your cleaning chores here for a week. But, if you get off on the tape, you have to make me a large chocolate cake."

Hm, an easy win, and I get a whole week harassing Aya during work. "Deal," I say, and clap my hand with hers, a promise seal that she taught me the second week I was here. I hid the tape just in time as Aya walked over, giving me a look that said how much of a weirdo he thinks I am, and puts the rag and broom away.

* * *

Seeing the red head sleeping peacefully on the pull-out sofa bed, I make sure the mental ward is there to keep those annoying nightmares that used to keep him up at night away, pleased with myself that he has been getting less of them nowadays. Pulling out my headphones, I plug them into the television so I can enjoy the sound without waking the sleeping kitten, since I sleep later than he does and need my fix of video games or television. Popping the DVD, I re-arrange the sitting mat and my bedding so I can lean against the wall comfortably, and go to sleep whenever the porno bores me. Yes, it's quite pathetic that when you lose your heart to someone, you also lose your libido along with it.

After the horrible remix of some kind of girly anime opening song, I roll my eyes as the male narrator start with the usual "Long, long ago" introduction. I might as well start planning how to harass Aya now without getting my ass kicked, as I reach for the remote to turn it off. The falsetto voice of a man moaning and masturbating stops me, as I turn and look at the TV as the camera focus on a cute red head grasping his hard cock with one hand, his legs spread wide for the camera as he fingered his lubed ass hole with another. What really pushes me over the top that I feel like I am about to nose bleed is the boy's look... God, who has the sick (though I am definitely not complaining) idea of styling this guy with similar hair style as Aya's, and by the Heavens is that purple eye contact he's wearing?! Well, considering that the kittens used to set up shop in Tokyo, I really shouldn't be surprised when there's porn like this with the four kittens as their main model.

The red head started moaning and meowing loudly as he start to leak precum, and a sound of a door open can be heard in the background. A lower voice enters, but the man not seen, "Well, what do we have here... A horny kitten, huh, little red riding hood?"

Shit, I think I am getting a nose bleed and a hard-on now.

The red head turns, and starts crawling towards where I suppose the man, and another longer, thicker erect cock comes onto the screen, as he starts licking the head of the mysterious man. A hand buries into the red manes, gripping it tightly as the boy makes some satisfying sound in sucking the other off.

Fuck... I'm almost feeling that it's Aya and the cock is mine... Fuck you, Keiko. You fucking saw this tape before you... Oh fuck! You fucking tricked me, woman! How can I be so stupid in forgetting what a fucking hardcore yaoi fan she and her sisters are?!

I swallow hard as I slip a hand into my too tight trouser, pushing it down enough to free my raging erection as I start pumping in sync with the rhythm that the boy adopts in sucking the cock. Soon the hand leaves his red hair and flips the boy over, and with one quick thrust he sheaths himself completely within the small body. I grunt softly, muffling my mouth with my free hand as I jerk forward, and suddenly, the boy's loud moaning and pleading are muffled to my ears. I blink the lust-induced cloud in front of my eyes off, and gasp as I see the connector of my headphone lying limply on the tatami floor.

Before my numb mind can tell me what to do next, a very awake, very shocked voice asks next to me, "What the hell...?"

That certainly jerks me awake as I scramble about, the remote suddenly hates me and slips from my grasps a few times before I grab it with both hands and turn the TV off. I pant, and turn to look at Aya who sits on the bed, his eyes widen to their largest extent, and slowly looks down at me and frowns. I follow his eyes, and curse as I find myself still hanging out, and quickly (and very painfully) stuff my erect cock back into my trouser.

A moment of extreme awkward silence pass between us, where for the second time in my life I feel like throwing myself off of the highest tower in town or dig a hole and climb in and never leave. I force a struggled laugh, which comes out a merely weak chuckle, as I blush furiously and look at him, waiting for any response, or, to be exact, any form of attack. If he asks for his blade now I will be more than happy to supply it to him just so he can cut me up. Fuck, this is not a memory I want him to have and...

"Is that what you want to do with me?"

My jaw drops as I merely gape at him, until he lifts his eyebrow and reaches over and takes the damn remote control from my hand, and turns on the TV. Instantly, the sound of the man's blissful grunt and the red head's lustful moan fill the small apartment, where the camera focus on the boy as he sits up and down the large cock, and the man slaps his ass and cock while calling the boy degrading names. I tear my eyes from the screen and look back at Aya, who has a tint of blush on his face as he maintained a neutral expression.

"Oh, um, haha, that?" I say weakly, pointing at the TV as I snatch the remote back, and turn it off once more. Seeing the inevitable, I sigh, and clear my throat as I look at him, seeing his confusion and his curiosity buried deep inside those dark, amethyst pools that try so hard in maintaining their chill. "Well... Yes, that's one of the things I want to do with you."

"**One **of the things?"

I smile, "That, my dear, is fucking. There are so much more I want to do with you, predominantly having your love and make love to you."

"Fucking? How is that different from what you want?"

Groaning, I slide closer to him so that I can hide the bulge in my trouser underneath the sofa bed, and rest my chin on the bed next to his fingers. "Ok," I clear my throat once more, trying to think of a way to explain to this adorable, ignorant love of my life. "Well, you see, fucking simply means two, or um, more, people seeking sexual pleasure from each other. It can be done with total strangers, or um, sometimes, by yourself too. The best example will be how Balinese always have different women and they never bother calling each other back. They are just taking physical pleasures from each other and no emotional ties whatsoever at all."

Aya looks at me intently, his mind digesting the information as he nods, looking very much like a good student, all that he needs now is a notepad and a pen. This whole situation should be considered hilarious, but right now I am just trying my best to tell my kitten how is it different from the porn to what I want, and trust me when I say it is not a simple task to do.

Clearing my throat once more, I scratch the back of my head as I start, heat that rose on my face from the moment he discovers my little tryst with the DVD never seem to have dissipate, "What I want from you is... Is making love. I told you I love you, and I want to have sex with you when you reciprocate the feeling. I don't know what other people define sex when it's between two people in love, but for me, it means that I cannot find any appetite for people other than you. So I only want to have sex with you because I love you, and not fuck you." Shit, I'm ranting now.

Silence filled between us once more while my eyes found a specific spot on his blanket utmost interesting, waiting for him to come to any conclusion or tell me to go to hell. It seems only too long when he speaks once more, "You can do it."

I choke on my saliva pathetically, and look up to him, my eyes wide while his face appeared serene and determined. "W... What?" I ask, my voice just louder than a mouse's.

Aya turned to me, and his expression told me that he had reached a decision. "It's been ten months, four since you told me. I don't know if I can ever... reciprocate, but I think... It's alright."

I blink, and inhale deeply while I try to calm myself, wanting more confirmation to my small hope. "Um... We both know I'm stupid so... Can you be more specific?"

He glares at me with annoyance, and re-organizes his thoughts, "I don't know if I can ever love you. I don't know if I can ever care for anyone like that except Aya. I know, at least, not having sex is painful. You haven't had any for ten months, and I..." he blushes slightly, him never appear so beautiful, "I'm okay... For you to... Make love to me."

I straighten up in shock, studying him as he lower his head, the blush deepens as he look at his hands. I reach over, and take his hands in mine, "Aya, I can wait. You don't have to do this for me."

Annoyance glare shot from half-lidded eyes, and he wrench his hands from my loose hold. Unbuttoning his shirt, he growls, "Now or never."

I put my hand over his hands, and smile up at him as he sidle close, my other arm snake around his waist. "All right, love. But let me do it my way, okay?" I whisper, and when he nods, I lean up, taking his lower lip into mine, sucking on the tender flesh ever so slightly. He looks at me, curiosity no longer buried, and I chuckle, breaking the contact slightly. "Close your eyes. Tell me anytime you want to stop, okay?"

He nods, and closes his eyes. I reclaim his lips, tracing his bottom lip with my tongue, sucking and caressing slowly. After much coaxing, he finally gets the clue or maybe it's just coincidence as he parts his lips, granting me entry that I craved for years. I find his tongue easily, savoring in the taste that can only be him, sweet with some aftertaste of his mint toothpaste. I suck at his tongue, my own exploring and massaging his gums, feeling extremely satisfied as he slumps slightly against me, moaning softly as he, surprisingly, tries shyly to touch my tongue with his. The dance is slow and testing, with me in the lead and him amazingly cooperative, even a little bit adventurous.

Without breaking the kiss, I push him down onto the bed and I slowly open his pajamas, watching for any signs of unwantedness. The top opens without any complaint, and I start caressing his skin with my hand, slowly exploring from his waist up, finding several places alongside his left side below his ribs that are worth some more prodding and teasing. When he bites down on my lips in warning, I smirk and let my hand reach lower. I tug off his pants quickly, surprised to see him not wearing underwear.

Sensing my surprise, he blushes as he breaks the kiss, his voice a mere whisper against my lips, "Too bothersome."

I smirk, and shower his lips that are now redden and swell slightly with chaste kisses, "That's my kitty..."

Purring, I starts tracing his jaw with more kisses, his taste never failed to intoxicate me. I take one of his earlobes, chewing it softly and was more than pleased to hear soft moans from the normally silent red head. Spending a little bit more time on that sensitive spot, I started exploring his chest, taking one hardened nipple in my mouth and twirling the nub with my tongue. He gasps, arching up to me as he shifts on the bed. My hand immediately went behind his back to support him. He took a couple of calming breaths before relaxing and I slowly guided him back down. I treat both nipples with some nibbling and sucking, smiling happily to myself to be the first one (and I will make it the only one) to hear the soft whimpers and gasps from him.

Reaching his navel, I kiss the softened muscle that hasn't been used much for the past months, his body, while still toned, has become more feminine in look and feel with lack of hard trainings. His feet kick a little when I lick and tease his belly button. When I look up I find a pair of amethysts glaring at me in annoyance. Smiling sheepishly, I tsk, "Close your eyes, honey. Feel, don't look."

He grunted softly and he fell back onto the pillow with a soft murmur of "Arrogant German bastard..." It earns him a bite on his stomach. Before he can kick me again and call it quits, I quickly lick along his half-erected penis, and almost stop when he lets out a yelp. I chuckle, and kissed the side of his length several times, before taking his head into my mouth. He gasps violently and jerks, thrusting into my mouth before he kicks me several times, sitting up as he pants, "W... What are you doing?! It... It's filthy!"

I smile comfortingly, I push him back down and use one hand to lock his wrists above his head, "Not yours, lovely." With that, I reclaim his cock and start sucking it slowly, humming my satisfaction while creating vibration around his member. Being one to have never even masturbated before, it doesn't come a surprise when he stills suddenly and a wave of bitter sweetness fills my senses. I swallow him without hesitation, and lick his cock clean before reaching up to him, kissing his lips and letting him taste a little bit himself.

"See, it isn't too bad," I whisper in his ears, kissing his face softly.

He pants as he opens his eyes slowly; those hypnotizing orbs slowly clear of mists of lust and he turns to me, frowning ever so slightly. I blink, watching him as he shifts to face me, resting on his side. He reaches down, and I hiss and stiffen as he grabs my own erection in his hand. "You're not... done."

I moan, and thrust into his hand slowly. "I... I don't think you're ready, so I'll go take a sho-"

"Do it."

I narrow my eyes, "Aya... You..."

His determined glare silenced any last of my protest, as I nod. "Be right back," I say quickly, climbing off the bed and make a mad dash to the bathroom.

* * *

[Aya]

I watch him run to the bathroom as if his ass is on fire, and bury my face into the pillow, wondering if what I'm about to let him do will be the fall of me. Reaching over for the remote, I turn on the TV where the red head is now having three men fucking him, one going in his anus as he suck back and forth with the other two. I blush furiously, the sound of bliss and pleasure cover the cluttering sound that Schuldich is making. A loud "Aha!" is in sync with the grunt of a man as white fluid covers the boy's face, and the German emerge from the bathroom. Wrinkling his face at the TV, he reaches over and turns it off. "Don't watch that," he scowls.

I arch an eyebrow at his statement. He was the one who was getting off while watching that, wasn't it?

As if reading my thought, Schuldich climbs back onto the bed, and smiles as he bend down to kiss me, "You're so much better than some cheaply made porn... And it's blasphemy when that brat tries to be as beautiful as you, and fail so miserably."

I feel the heat on my face rises a little, and I glare at him for talking in such a disgusting way. He laughs, and cups my face while showering me with feathery kisses, "Aww, it's call sweet talking, and it's only for you, my love."

"Get on with it," I grumble, and kick him once more.

Grinning, he kisses me deeply, drawing out more moans from me until he leaves me breathless. Reaching down, he kisses my limp cock once more, before I hear a pop of a cap being flipped open. A vanilla scent fills the room, and I recognize it from the hand lotion Keiko gave us a while ago, saying that someone gave it to her and she didn't like it. I cry softly and arch my hips when I feel a slick, cold finger enters my anus, and I shift at the slight discomfort of intrusion. Schuldich presses me down, and curls his finger inside. Suddenly, I melt as I moan at the pleasure that such simple movement made me. He started push in and out with his finger, soon adding another and a third, stretching me completely and pausing in between for me to get used to it.

His fingers graced somewhere... something... inside me, and I cry out loudly as intense pleasure fills me from the bottom of my spine throughout my body, making me tremble and wanting more. Schuldich whispers a soft "there it is" and starts probing the place several more times. I believe he enjoys hearing the sound more than what he is doing to me. Just when I thought I would explode again just from his fingers in me, he pulls out and leaves me whimpering for more.

Schuldich hovers above me, his hand on my chin and bade me to look up. I stare into his eyes, more the a little surprised to see uncertainty and worry underneath the obvious desire in his eyes. "Are you sure, Aya?" he asks softly.

I study him intently, the same question repeats itself in my head several more times, and the answer comes out the same each time. "...Yes," I say, after a moment of silence.

He smiles brightly, and kisses me hard as he parts my legs. I close my eyes, and gasp into the kiss when I feel the tip of his cock poking my entrance. Slowly, he pushes himself in, the pain more than I expected and causes me to hitch in breath. He stops immediately, letting me getting used to him. It takes me several breaths to relax myself, and he moves again, pushing himself deeper. He rests one more time and I open my eyes, finding his eyes closes in bliss as if he had just died and gone to heaven. The revelation that it's me that gives him such pleasure somehow excites me, and I move slowly beneath him, letting him know that it's okay to continue.

Taking the cue, Schuldich starts moving, thrusting in and out of me slowly, and the pain soon dissolves into intense pleasure that leaves me panting for breath. I wrap my arm around his neck, remembering from the brief scene I saw that the boy in the porn did the same, and wrap my legs around his waist. He growls softly, "Fuck... I'll definitely buy you some good quality porn then..." and increases his speed. For moments I can't think or know what is going on except him doing incredible things with that dick of his. Knowing his way already, it isn't long before Schuldich starts to hit that spot of pleasure repeatedly, making me jerk and cry aloud in exhilaration. Vaguely, I find myself glad that I live in such a run-down apartment; nobody else is on the same floor or even down stairs to complain about me being too noisy. I may just have to commit another sin.

I can't tell how long this heavenly sensation goes on, but at some point I let out a soft scream, and my body stiffens as the explosion happens once more, this time more intense. I hear Schuldich hiss out a pleasure-full grunt, and I feel him fill me. Panting, he nearly collapses on me, but catches himself and he rolls off, crashing onto the bed instead. He turns me around so he can hold me tightly.

Coming down from the pleasure, I feel exhausted suddenly. I blink off the sleepiness, and look up to him. He takes the chance and showers my face with more kisses, smiling completely like an idiot. "Mine," he says, tightening his arms and pushing me tighter to him. I struggle slightly, but my strength seems to leave me from the last explosion. I glare at him, and he smiles as he kisses me on the lips again, "What, you think I'm going to let anybody near you again? You're mine, kitten."

I growl, "Don't control me, Schuldich."

"I don't dare, love. But I can certainly make sure no other man try to get near you. And you said so yourself, you don't know if you can love another, right? So all I have to do is make sure nobody can show you their love and all you know is my love, and maybe I'll have a chance!"

I stare at him incredulously, "... You're impossible."

"And you're incredible," he smirks, and kisses me on the forehead softly, "Now go to sleep, my love. I'll wake you up for a shower and work later."

I let out a snort, and shift in his arms to steal more of his warmth as I close my eyes, his arms too comfortable for my liking. I don't know how this is going to work out, but somehow, I feel a heavy burden lifted off of me, and the man is no longer Schwartz, but someone whom I can somehow trust in the future.

- To Be Continued

**Author's Mewling: **This chapter came out later than I wanted it to. T_T It was actually written quite earlier, but my beta was busy and so I ended up couldn't publish it until my Bethie's beta friend saved me. w Many thanks to my Bethie and her beta friend! *billion hearts* Also, thanks to all of you who reviewed my fic! You have no idea how much it meant to me when I come online and find your kind reviews there! It just gives me more motivation in writing. ^_^ I've been terribly busy and sick for the past two weeks, and also distracted by my new games (damn my sister for getting me into Harvest Moon... It's a horrifyingly simple yet addictive game... ^^;;;) But now that this chapter is finally edited and published, I will be starting the third chapter very soon and hopefully finish it quickly. ^^ Please keep reviewing and cheering for me! ^v^


End file.
